Gov. Ed Rendell has an interesting idea for helping Pennsylvania's cash-strapped cities: Start taxing some nonprofits.
In an interview with the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era, he said cities should push for a narrower definition of charities — one that would exclude, say, hospitals, health care companies and universities.
"We need to go back and redefine charities and give the people who aren't true charities like the Catholic church, synagogues, food banks, things like that … one criteria: No one working for the nonprofit could earn more than $99,000," Rendell said.
If they do have staffers who make more than that, they would get taxed.
"When I was mayor of Philadelphia, my second year, the Supreme Court decided a case in Erie where it redefined the meaning of charities and charitable exemption of taxes," Rendell said. "It made a much tighter definition of charities. It meant that all the universities would have to pay taxes. The health care and HMOs would have to pay taxes.
"It would have been a godsend … ."
The Legislature, persuaded by lobbyists for those entities, later passed a statute redefining charities by the old standard, Rendell said.
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State Reps. Tom Creighton and Gordon Denlinger were among only 13 House members who voted Tuesday against a measure designed to curtail dating violence among teens.
The House overwhelmingly voted to give final approval to House Bill 2026, which would amend the state Public School Code to make instruction about dating violence part of the health curriculum for students in seventh through 12th grades. Parents who object could "opt-out" their children.
Denlinger explained his opposition to the bill this way: "While I am deeply saddened when dating violence tragedies occur, my deeper concern is that the state is once again taking over a role traditionally handled by parents.
"Should the state determine what is proper in dating relationships, or should instructors be teaching our children how to conduct themselves while dating?" he asked. "My belief is that parents should retain their primary instructive role in the personal lives of their children."
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The Republican Committee of Lancaster County's latest financial report shows it owes the law firm Hartman, Underhill and Brubaker $85,457.87 in legal fees. The East Chestnut Street firm has defended the GOP against a federal civil-rights suit filed by committeewoman Millie Max.
The party committee reported having $12,670.52 on hand at year's end.
By contrast, the county Democratic committee — which has long been in the minority here in terms of registered voters and elected officials — is substantially better off. It had $42,378.94 heading into the new year, and no unpaid debts.
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If former U.S. Rep. Bob Walker of Manheim Township was listening to NPR on Tuesday, he would have heard former congresswoman Marjorie Margolies Mezvinsky call him out — and not in a flattering way.
The Democrat from suburban Philadelphia was remembering her 1993 deciding vote in favor of then-President Bill Clinton's budget plan. She recalled that a number of Republicans chanted "Goodbye Marjorie" after her vote because they intended to use that against her in the next campaign.
The most notable chanter, she said, was Walker.
"My absolute favorite was Bob Walker, who was jumping — I mean literally — jumping up and down," she told host Robert Siegel. " … And I'm thinking to myself: Golly, he's likely right.
"What an incredibly inappropriate … I mean — my kids shouldn't be doing that. But he was a fantastic jumper … I mean, I had to take my hat off to him. I mean, this guy really could jump."
Walker was, in fact, right. Mezvinsky lost.